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Van Halen Needed Sammy Hagar To Survive

I know that many people here will laugh at that subject title, but it is the truth.

Van Halen wouldn't have done well with Roth in the mid to late 80's and early 90's and like many other bands that changed styles to appeal to hard rock fans of the time and yes be more commercial - Van Halen needed Sammy Hagar to implement that change.

I think Eddie understood that Dave was no longer right for whatever vision he had for the future of Van Halen. Now you may not care, but Van Halen with David Lee Roth were just not going to be competitive against many of the hair bands and reinvented versions of Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and every other 70's band that changed their style in the 80's. Even if you think those bands suck.

And Van Halen were changing musically to a more commercial sound anyway with or without Hagar, so the music just wouldn't have sounded right with David Lee Roth singing and it wouldn't have done that well.

For better or worse, Van Halen dodged a bullet by getting rid of Roth and getting Sammy Hagar - he made it work for Van Halen and their success continued allowing for the band to survive at that time when everyone was changing.

I know that many people here will laugh at that subject title, but it is the truth.

Van Halen wouldn't have done well with Roth in the mid to late 80's and early 90's and like many other bands that changed styles to appeal to hard rock fans of the time and yes be more commercial - Van Halen needed Sammy Hagar to implement that change.

I think Eddie understood that Dave was no longer right for whatever vision he had for the future of Van Halen. Now you may not care, but Van Halen with David Lee Roth were just not going to be competitive against many of the hair bands and reinvented versions of Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and every other 70's band that changed their style in the 80's. Even if you think those bands suck.

And Van Halen were changing musically to a more commercial sound anyway with or without Hagar, so the music just wouldn't have sounded right with David Lee Roth singing and it wouldn't have done that well.

For better or worse, Van Halen dodged a bullet by getting rid of Roth and getting Sammy Hagar - he made it work for Van Halen and their success continued allowing for the band to survive at that time when everyone was changing.

I would agree with this post, but then we'd BOTH be dead wrong.

"It's so lonely at the top because it's so crowded at the bottom" - Diamond David Lee Roth

"If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving is not for you"

"Be careful what you wish for because you just might lose what you already have"

Nope. It's really not even up for debate. Bon Jovi and Poison would have done much better than Van Halen with Roth still in the band. This isn't an attack on Dave, but the reality that a more commercial sounding Van Halen wouldn't be appropriate for David Lee Roth and that's fine if you wouldn't want DLR in a more Foreigner style version of Van Halen.

I disagree with all of it. In fact if it weren't for Van Halen, Sammy Hagar wouldn't be any where near as successful as he is today. He just wouldn't have had the popularity or money to do it.

But as far as Van Halen not being successful through out the mid 80's with Roth is laughable. They were at their peak in 1984 when Dave left. To say they wouldn't have lasted you are lumping them in with the other "hair" bands, which VH is not a hair band, the likes of Bullet Boys, White Lion, Ratt etc. Dave would have adapted and Eddie would have still wrote killer music. Also, the thought that Dave wouldn't have sounded right singing the more commercial type songs, like what? Are you talking about songs Sammy wrote? Dave would put great lyrics to ANY music EVH wrote and it would have sold like crazy.

There is a reason Van Halen is still played so much on US radio today and it has nothing to do with Sammy Hagar.

Nope. It's really not even up for debate. Bon Jovi and Poison would have done much better than Van Halen with Roth still in the band. This isn't an attack on Dave, but the reality that a more commercial sounding Van Halen wouldn't be appropriate for David Lee Roth and that's fine if you wouldn't want DLR in a more Foreigner style version of Van Halen.

I know that many people here will laugh at that subject title, but it is the truth.

Van Halen wouldn't have done well with Roth in the mid to late 80's and early 90's and like many other bands that changed styles to appeal to hard rock fans of the time and yes be more commercial - Van Halen needed Sammy Hagar to implement that change.

I think Eddie understood that Dave was no longer right for whatever vision he had for the future of Van Halen. Now you may not care, but Van Halen with David Lee Roth were just not going to be competitive against many of the hair bands and reinvented versions of Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and every other 70's band that changed their style in the 80's. Even if you think those bands suck.

And Van Halen were changing musically to a more commercial sound anyway with or without Hagar, so the music just wouldn't have sounded right with David Lee Roth singing and it wouldn't have done that well.

For better or worse, Van Halen dodged a bullet by getting rid of Roth and getting Sammy Hagar - he made it work for Van Halen and their success continued allowing for the band to survive at that time when everyone was changing.

I'm just going to refer to you as Mild Salsa on here from now on. More faux provocateurism. A sea of boring.

So after 1984 sold over 10 million albums, for their second Diamond album, yet another sold out tour, all of a sudden Van Halen "wouldn't survive" with DLR?

Van Halen was playing multiple nights at many, many major US cities on the 1984 tour. Along with a new album in 1985 or 1986 which undoubtedly would have been yet another multi-platinum seller, they would have playing stadiums on that tour, nearing Zeppelin/Who/Stones status. That's how big Van Halen was back then.

Serious question, and I'm not trying to be a smartass - Did you actually see Van Halen in the original Roth era?

Eat Us And Smile - The Originals

"I have a very belligerent enthusiasm or an enthusiastic belligerence. I’m an intellectual slut." - David Lee Roth

Nope. It's really not even up for debate. Bon Jovi and Poison would have done much better than Van Halen with Roth still in the band. This isn't an attack on Dave, but the reality that a more commercial sounding Van Halen wouldn't be appropriate for David Lee Roth and that's fine if you wouldn't want DLR in a more Foreigner style version of Van Halen.

Wtf
Are you on drugs ?
If not, get some !

"The tree of liberty must be﻿ refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”

I disagree with all of it. In fact if it weren't for Van Halen, Sammy Hagar wouldn't be any where near as successful as he is today. He just wouldn't have had the popularity or money to do it.

But as far as Van Halen not being successful through out the mid 80's with Roth is laughable. They were at their peak in 1984 when Dave left. To say they wouldn't have lasted you are lumping them in with the other "hair" bands, which VH is not a hair band, the likes of Bullet Boys, White Lion, Ratt etc. Dave would have adapted and Eddie would have still wrote killer music. Also, the thought that Dave wouldn't have sounded right singing the more commercial type songs, like what? Are you talking about songs Sammy wrote? Dave would put great lyrics to ANY music EVH wrote and it would have sold like crazy.

There is a reason Van Halen is still played so much on US radio today and it has nothing to do with Sammy Hagar.

For better or worse, Van Halen dodged a bullet by getting rid of Roth and getting Sammy Hagar - he made it work for Van Halen and their success continued allowing for the band to survive at that time when everyone was changing.

I don’t know about that.

Originally Posted by Va Beach VH Fan

they would have playing stadiums on that tour, nearing Zeppelin/Who/Stones status.

I don’t know about that either.

The follow up with Roth led VH would have been huge. How long VH would have stayed relevant with Dave is anyone’s guess. Dave left at the peak but would he have been able to keep them there? Don’t know. I think VH success with Sam, especially in the climate into the 1990’s would have been difficult for anyone to maintain through that era. I think it was to the band’s advantage in the long run to have Sammy at the helm for those 10 years. I think if the 1996 reunion could have stuck, that would have secured the legacy of the band….but it didn’t.

Van Halen had great success with both frontmen. I do think Sammy adapted better to the changing music styles of the late 80s and the direction Eddie seemed to be headed after 1984. For my money, when you take WACF, FW, DD, 1984, 5150, and OU812 into consideration, Van Halen, no matter the singer, owned the 1980s.

So after 1984 sold over 10 million albums, for their second Diamond album, yet another sold out tour, all of a sudden Van Halen "wouldn't survive" with DLR?

Van Halen was playing multiple nights at many, many major US cities on the 1984 tour. Along with a new album in 1985 or 1986 which undoubtedly would have been yet another multi-platinum seller, they would have playing stadiums on that tour, nearing Zeppelin/Who/Stones status. That's how big Van Halen was back then.

Serious question, and I'm not trying to be a smartass - Did you actually see Van Halen in the original Roth era?

It wouldn't be the first time in music history that a band is incredibly successful in one year and go bust the next. Many long term band were overshadowed by the new bands at the time. Van Halen needed the resurrection. And Van Halen were never anything close Zeppelin/Who/Stones status - outside of America, Van Halen doesn't do that well.

I have seen Van Halen with Roth many times actually and while the band was awesome - Roth often sucked. He was never known for being great live.

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